Sustaining attachment for airplanes



y 1930- G. HALLDIN 1,757,630

SUSTAINING ATTACHMENT FOR AIRPLANES Filed Aug. 28, 1928 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 May 6, 1930'. G, HALLDIN 1,757,630

SUSTAINING ATTACHMENT FOR AIRPLANES le A g- 1928 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 6. flazldzn 35 connection with the upper. wing 11.

' Patented May 6,1930

UNITED STATES cus'mr mtmmi,

PATENT OFFICE OF INDIANA, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIG-NOROIF ONE-NAIF TO CLAR- ENCE W. CLARK, OF INDIANA, PENNSYLVANIA SUSTAINING ATTACHMENT FOR AIRPLANES Application filed August 2a, 1928. Serial No. 302,561.

This invention relates to airplanes, and the general object of the invention is to provide means whereby the area of the airfoil or Wing can be expanded when the engine stops or the airplane stalls and starts to fall straight downward.

A further object in this connection is to provide auxiliary supporting surfaces in the form of flexible webs which may be, under normal circumstances, rolled up upon spring rollers beneath the wing and which may be 'pulled out to thereby ofler a greater area ofresistance to the descent of the airplane.

My invention is illustrated in the accom-- V 5 panying drawings in which- Figure 1 is a top plan view of an airplane equipped with my improvement;

Fig; 2 is an elevation of the winding shaft; Fig. 3 is a sectional view through the winding shaft showing the ratchet;

.Fig. 4 is a longitudinal section through the wings of the airplane showing my sustaining device applied thereto;

. Fig. 5 is a fragmentary top plan view, the

winding roller being in section;

Fig. 6 is a sectional view through the wind ing roller and the web; and

Fig. 7 is an elevation of one of the supporting arms or guides.

In these drawings I have illustrated an airplane of ordinary and conventional construction which includes a fuselage 10 and the usual airfoil or wings 11 and 12. My attachment is intended to be applied or useai:

e upper wing 11 is supported from the fuselage by the usual struts 13.

Disposed beneath the wing 11 and adapted to extend either along the entire length of the wing or along a portion thereof and adjacent the entering and exit edges of the wing are rollers 14 mounted in suitable supports, each roller containing therein a spring 15 whereby the roller is urged into a position to wind up thereon a web of canvas 16. This web of canvas may be as long as the roller or several webs may be mounted upon the same roller and may be simultaneously wound up thereon.

Extending outward from the frame sup- '16 has attached to it a transversely extending winding porting the upper wing 11, as for instance, extending outward from the'struts 13, are the outwardly and downwardly turned guides 17 The forward edge of each web bar-18 which may be made of metal; this bar having reduced ends which are engageable in guide grooves 19 formed in the'outwardly projecting supports or brackets 17. With this construction the bar 18 may be pulled outward against the action of the spring roller 14 and thus pull out the web 16. For

the purpose of pulling out this bar 18, I provide cables 20 which pass over pulleys as will be later stated, and pass rearward to drums 21 mounted upon a crank shaft 22. v

This crank shaft is mounted in suitable bearings supported by the wing or the frame thereon, and this crank shaft is provided at any convenient point with oppositely extending cranks 23 whereby the crank shaft may be rotated. When this crank shaft has rotated in one direction, it winds up on the cables 20 and thus draws out the webs 16. In order to hold the webs in their drawn out position, the crank shaft is provided with a ratchet wheel 24 with which a ratchet 25 c0- acts. When this pawl is lifted from the ratchet wheel the springs on the rollers 14 act to retract the webs to their rolled up position beneath the wing.

For the purpose of supporting pulleys over which these cables 20 may pass, I provide guide members 26 projecting from the wing carrying pulle 27 at their extremities over which the ca les 20 are trained. These guides 26 are so disposed as to extend above thewebs 16 when the webs are drawn outward so that the web 16 will not tear away or rend the webs.

In the use of this attachment, the webs of course will be rolled up upon the spring rollers 14 under normal circumstances, then if the engine stops and there is a likelihood of a smash, the pilot can immediately unroll these auxiliary wings or webs 16 by rotating the crank 23 and this 'will pull out these auxiliary wings so that they will extend beyond the permanent wing or airfoil of the plane a distance of for instance, ten feet on each side, thus very. greatly increasing the wing spread and reducing the s eed of descent.

While I have illustrate in Fig. 1, an airplane having these webs 16 extending along the entire length of the airplane wing or airfoil, I do not wish to be limited to this as it is obvious that these auxiliary wings might be formed in sections. modifications might be made without departing from the spirit of the invention.

What I claim is 1. The combination with an airplane having a sustaining wing, of spring rollers mounted beneath the wing adjacent the entering and exit ed es thereof, webs wound upon said rollers, %xed supports extending outward from beneath the wing, transversely extending bars attached to the ends of the webs and guided upon said supports, and

manually operable means for pulling said bars along the supports to thereby unroll and spread the webs.

2. The combination with an airplane having a sustaining wing, of spring rollers mounted beneath the wing adjacent the entering and exit edges thereof, longitudinally grooved fixed'guides projecting forward and rearward from points beneath the wing, webs normally wound upon the spring rollers, a bar attached to the free edge of each web and having its ends slidingly engaged in said guides, members extending forwardly and rearwardly from the plane and disposed above the 'web bar when extended, pulleys carried by said members, manually operable winding means disposed in a plane between the rollers and cables engaged by said winding means passing over said pulleys, and engagin the free ends of said webs.

3. he combination with an airplane having a sustaining wing, of spring rollersmounted beneath the wing adjacent the entering and exit edges thereof, longitudinally grooved fixed guides projecting forward and rearward from points beneath the wing, webs normally wound upon the spring rollers, a bar attached to the free edge of each web and having its ends slidingly engaged in sald guides, members extending forwardly and rearwardly from the plane and disposed above-the web bar when extended, pulleys carried-by said members, manually operable winding means disposed in a. plane between the rollers and cables engaged by said winding means passing over said pulleys, and engaging the free ends of said webs, the winding means comprising a shaft, winding drums thereon to which said cables are connected,

and manually operable means for rotating said shaft.

In testimony whereof I hereunto afiix my signature.

GUSTAF HALLDIN.

Obviously many 

